


Delivery

by calliope (sailorvenusgold)



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, M/M, Red Riding Hood Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-18
Updated: 2016-06-18
Packaged: 2018-07-15 21:50:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7239850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sailorvenusgold/pseuds/calliope
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yifan believes in fairytale clichés. Yixing's just trying to deliver something. Loosely based on Little Red Riding Hood.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Delivery

**Author's Note:**

> Incredibly anachronistic

When Yixing walks into their kitchen, Luhan has the most unsettling grin stretched across his face; it takes literally everything in his body to not do a complete 180 and retreat back into his bedroom.

"Xing. I need you to make a delivery to Minseok," Luhan says, obnoxiously waving a flask in his face.

"What's this? Are you trying to drug him?" Yixin asks as he stares at the bottle warily. Luhan sputters out an indignant _"It is_ not _drugged"_ which does nothing to waver Yixing's suspicions. His best friend is not the most credible person and his crush on the woodsman who lives on the outskirts of the kingdom cannot be compared to anything short of an obsession. "Anyway, why do you need me to do it? Your boyfriend, your mess."

"He's not my boyfriend. _Yet_. But you need to do it so I seem more aloof and mysterious. As if I just happened to make this special brew of coffee but didn't have the space to fit him in my hectic schedule, so instead I sent my lackey to send it because I still care about him.” Luhan’s grin is back and Yixing snorts. His _schedule_ comprises of him sneaking out to look at Minseok’s arms. “Anyway, you better go now Yixing.”

“What? Why?”

“It’s gonna get dark soon. Don’t want you getting eaten by wolves or anything,” Luhan says, too blasé for someone who has literally just mentioned the possibility of his best friend getting eaten by wolves. He places the flask in a satchel which he then dumps on Yixing’s shoulder. He finishes by clasping his red cloak around him. “This should make him jealous.” Luhan proclaims, admiring his handiwork. He smirks before promptly booting Yixing out of the house, forcing him on his afternoon adventure.

 

 

After banging on their door for three minutes straight, Yixing resigns himself to the fact that Luhan is a traitor and will not let him back in, and treads into the woods. Although they live in the same kingdom, Minseok lives further out in the forest, closer to King Junmyeon’s realm. It will take him half an hour to walk to his house and the day will not get any brighter.

After five minutes have gone, Yixing curses Luhan to all the deities that will be willing to hear his murderous petitions (he thinks there would be a lot).

By the tenth minute, Yixing realises that he will be alone on a walk which will take an hour at least, and then formulates a plan to murder Luhan without getting caught. He reckons he's smarter than he looks and that no one would _ever_ believe that he could possibly kill Luhan. It would be the perfect crime.

After fifteen minutes, the sky has gotten darker and Yixing is only halfway to Minseok's house (and a quarter of a way through) when he hears rumbling in the forest. Yixing's heart lodges itself in his throat – Luhan’s wolves have come to end him, some sort of karmic retribution for even thinking about throttling his best friend. His hands fly to his neck, fumbling with the clasp on Luhan's stupid cloak. Yixing has never been more convinced that Luhan has sent him to die in these woods. He gives up when the metal brooch leaves red, rubbery indents on his fingers and resorts to hiding near some shrubbery.

He prepares for his death-by-unknown-deadly-beast when he hears the _thing_ approach him, his sight being consumed by shadow. He doesn't dare look up ( _'if I can't see it, it can't see me'_ ). He barely registers the deep chuckle in his terror.

"Well, what do we have here?" a deep voice asks, sounding more amused than murderous or hungry. Yixing looks up, slowly realising that the beast that was pursuing him is in fact the ruler of the kingdom. Yifan. The king. His cheeks rush with warmth.

"Your highness," Yixing says breathlessly, scrambling to move his limbs into a position of servitude. This only serves to amuse the king, whose grin grows larger, flashing a peek of his gums to Yixing.

"Rise, please. I did not mean to scare you." The king offers a large hand to Yixing who accepts, his cheeks still not cooling down any further. "What brings you to these woods? It is so late in the afternoon..."

"I was tasked to make a delivery, your highness."

"Well then, whoever gave you this task did not seem to value you; if it were up to me, I would not dare risk your beauty." The king's words do nothing to quell the warmth in his cheeks. He thinks he must look like a strawberry at the moment, nothing like the _beauty_ the king thinks him to be. He shifts and looks towards Yifan, whose smile has softened.

"Your highness. I am not deserving of this - of this praise,” he stammers. He hopes he does not appear as skittish as he feels. “My friend Luhan is perhaps more deserving of this attention. The whole village celebrates his beauty - I am drab in comparison, a rag." Yixing knows he is rambling, all too shy at the king's words. However, the king does not seem to agree, judging by the frown dawning on his face, thick brows furrowing together.

"You are not rag!” The king seems offended at this notion. “There is no one else in this kingdom who could compare to you. Remember, my word is law," Yifan says sternly, scolding him for even insinuating that he was less than worthy. It so easily makes him feel like a child, invoking memories of his mother chiding him for swiping some cakes from the plate, or even of Luhan berating him for injuring himself when he pushes himself too far when he practices for the performing troupe. He looks down at his boots and offers an apology. He doesn’t like being told off. Yifan only snickers and tells him his red cloak brings out the colour in his cheeks.

Yixing realises that they must have been there for quite a while, ten minutes eating into his mission, and he makes to move, picking up his fallen satchel. Yifan puts a stop to his actions.

“Will I not even get a name from you? You’ve already stolen my heart, I deserve something in return,” the king asks with a smirk.

“Yixing,” he mutters, in utter disbelief that those words have just come from a dignified man’s mouth. He even thought that he was smooth. Whatever cool majesty he thought Yifan had is diminishing. “Your highness, I must go now. I don’t want to be stuck in the woods when night falls.”

Yifan ponders this, staring at Yixing while doing so. The sharp eyes feel heavy on his skin and he squirms under the taller man’s view.

“Why don’t I take you? I have no real purpose this afternoon, I was only a leisurely hunt. Besides I have caught myself something better,” Yifan replies, waggling his eyebrows. Yixing bites his lip to prevent himself from bursting out in laughter. The taller man must have taken this to be a coy act – Yifan’s piercing eyes darken and a wolfish smirk settles on his handsome face. “We seem to be in agreement then.”

Who is Yixing to deny a king?

 

 

The ride to Minseok’s house is no less uneventful. As Yixing is the only one who knows the directions, he takes the front and the reins and guides the horse to its destination. However, this also means that he finds himself nestled in between Yifan’s long limbs, their thighs flush against each other and the king’s large hands gripping his hips. Yixing is grateful that he doesn’t get them lost in his state of embarrassment.

Minseok’s house comes into view, the orange glow from the window already visible in the bluing dusk. The sound of hooves must have startled the man as he sees a figure poking his head from the door in curiosity. Yixing slows the horse to a trot and calls for him.

“Yixing, what are you doing here so late?” Minseok asks. Yixing attempts to recall Luhan’s words as he gets off Yifan’s horse.

“Luhan wanted to give this to you,” Yixing says as he hands Minseok the flask. He sees the other’s eyes flicker to the red cloak. “He said he wanted to give this to you as soon as possible but didn’t have the time to do so himself.”

“Oh... Tell him I really appreciate it.” Minseok’s response is marked with a small smile. His round eyes widen however when he sees the imposing figure of the king who had hopped off his horse. Minseok makes to bow when Yifan stops him.

“There is no need, please. However, I feel that I must return Yixing home so excuse us,” Yifan says. Yixing lets out an undignified squeal when Yifan’s hands grip his hips to lift him back up on the steed. Yixing gives an apologetic look to Minseok before Yifan reaches around him to reach for the reins and lead the creature around.

 

Yixing did not think that he would manage to get more action than Luhan by doing this.

**Author's Note:**

> This is shorter than I wanted and I am also completely uninformed in horse riding.


End file.
